Journalist Abdurrahman Gök, who is on trial for "terrorism-related" charges, has been subject to an international travel ban and required to check in regularly at a police station for the past two years.
The eighth hearing in his case, in which he faces accusations of “membership in a terrorist organization” and “terrorist propaganda,” was held yesterday at the Diyarbakır 5th Heavy Penal Court. The charges are based on his professional work and the testimony of a secret witness.
Gök attended the hearing with his lawyers, Resul Tamur and Mehmet Emin Aktar. Representatives from Reporters Without Borders (RSF), the Dicle Fırat Journalists Association (DFG), the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA), and several journalists were also present.
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Travel ban restricts journalism
Gök told the court that the travel ban severely hinders his professional work. “Sometimes I think, if I were in prison, at least I would know I was behind four walls and therefore unable to do my job. Being outside but still unable to practice my profession is much harder for me,” he said, requesting that the ban be lifted.
His lawyers also asked the court to remove the restriction. The prosecutor, however, recommended the continuation of judicial control measures.
“I have attended all hearings until the verdict stage in my previous trial, and I did the same in this case,” Gök said. “I was born and raised here, and I carried out my work here. I want my travel ban to be lifted.”
The court decided to ask the Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office about the status of an ongoing investigation related to the case. It rejected the request to lift the judicial control measures and adjourned the trial until Nov 25.
BIA Media Monitoring Reports
‘A normalized practice’
After the hearing, RSF’s Turkey representative, Erol Önderoğlu, said Gök became a target after filming the police killing of Kemal Kurkut during the 2017 Newroz celebrations.
“In Abdurrahman Gök’s case, we observe an unlawful yet normalized practice in Turkey’s judiciary, where news reporting is criminalized and accusations often rely on coerced secret witnesses,” Önderoğlu said.
“We call for an end to the harassment of a journalist who has informed the public under difficult conditions in Turkey and beyond, but was made a special target after documenting the police killing of Kemal Kurkut," referring to the 2017 killing during Newroz celebrations.
Background
Gök was detained on Apr 25, 2023, along with 128 others, including journalists, politicians, lawyers, union members, artists, and human rights defenders, as part of an investigation launched by the Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office.
He was brought to court on Apr 27 and arrested along with fellow journalists Beritan Canözer, Mehmet Şah Oruç, and Remzi Akkaya on charges of “membership in a terrorist organization.”
The indictment, prepared in June 2023, ran 14 pages and accused him of “terrorist membership” and “terrorist propaganda.” As evidence, the prosecution cited books available for purchase online, his social security registration by his employer, and photographs taken during reporting trips to northern Syria. The case also relied heavily on the testimony of Ümit Akbıyık, a secret witness involved in more than 800 files.
After seven months in detention, Gök was released at the second hearing on Dec 5, 2023. (HA/VK)
